I love potatoes.

and today I managed to make a pretty rockin' potato soup. I read a few recipes online and concocted this one:

5 red potatoes
onion
2 smallish carrots
stalk of celery
2 cloves garlic
leftover 1/3 of a zucchini
1/2 can of kernel corn
shredded kale
3 c chicken broth
2 pieces bacon
2 tbsp butter
1/4 c flour
1 1/4 c milk
basil
dill weed
salt and pepper
chili oil

brown the bacon in a skillet. in the bacon grease, saute the diced onion, carrots, and celery. when they're almost done, add the garlic, saute for a minute, and turn off the burner. combine peeled and chopped potatoes, diced zucchini, the chicken broth, and the contents of the skillet in a soup pot; season with salt and pepper. bring to a boil and let simmer for 20-30 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked through. in the skillet, melt the butter, add the flour, and then add the milk, incorporating them all together. add the milk mixture to the soup pot, and bring back up to a simmer (the soup will start to thicken). add in the corn and kale, spices, and salt and pepper to taste. I wanted a moderate kick, so I added a dollop of chili oil at the end. serve with crumbled bacon on top, and cheese if you want it (it was actually so good by itself that we didn't go for the cheese... crazy, I know).

I'll happily accept other potato soup recipes, because I love the spud and all it stands for.

-m.y.